Mission and Objectives • Mission Statement • Organisation chart (PDF)

Mission, Objectives, Activities

ifa – connecting cultures
The Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations, ifa) is an organization operating worldwide to promote artistic exchange and dialogue between civil societies and to provide information about foreign cultural policy.

Theodor-Wanner-Preis 2009 Ursula Seiler-Albring, President of the ifa; Joschka Fischer, Former Foreign Secretary of Germany; Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Daniel Barenboim, Chief Conductor at the Deutschen Staatsoper Berlin Photo: © Victoria Tomaschke

As the leading German institution for international cultural exchange, ifa devises and organizes German contemporary art exhibitions worldwide. We fund artists' exhibition projects and award scholarships; the ifa galleries in Stuttgart and Berlin feature contemporary art, architecture and design from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe.
We bring together people from different cultures through exchange programs and international conferences, and we support civil conflict resolution and transformation work. Special media programs enable us to support the development of structures in civil society. Ifa is also active in a wide variety of other projects in co-operation with foundations and other civil society organizations both nationally and internationally.
The specialised library in Stuttgart, the KULTURAUSTAUSCH (Journal for international perspectives) and the ifa internet portal are the most important forums for information about foreign cultural politics in Germany.
Ifa is funded by the German Foreign Office, the State of Baden-Württemberg and the City of Stuttgart.